The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken

THE MASS “HARAJUKU EXPANDING LANDSCAPE PROJECT”

NOBUO ARAKI/THE ARCHETYPE

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Nobuo Araki

DESIGN TEAM
The Archetype, Nobuo Araki

PHOTOGRAPHS
Shimizu Ken

AREA
117 m²

YEAR
2016

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Museums & Exhibit, Urban & Land Use Planning

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken

Text description provided by the architects.

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project” - The Mass is the first phase of the ongoing “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project” consisting of four phases and four sites. The site is located along Cat Street in a residential area in the back streets of Omotesando.

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken

The aim of the project is to architecturally plan an expanding landscape that fills the gaps of the city. Within one structure, we created a small museum with three separate exhibition spaces.

Each of the three spaces has an entrance and its own unique approach. The versatility of using the spaces according to the size of the exhibition was also considered.

The way finding of the structure embodies ‘city gaps.’

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken

There are several ‘blank spaces’ located throughout the site in order to consciously assimilate with the neighboring streets and buildings.

Throughout the process, we viewed the city as having an exterior with a considered back-end, and a considered back-end that reflects onto the aesthetic of the exterior.

The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken


The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
© Shimizu Ken


The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
Basement Floor Plan
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
First Floor Plan


The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
South Elevation 01
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
South Elevation 02
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
North Elevation
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
East Elevation
The Mass “Harajuku Expanding Landscape Project”
West Elevation